Young Offender Institutions: Per Capita Costs

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of providing a place in  (a) a young offender institution for 18 to 21 year olds,  (b) a young offender institution for 15 to 17 year olds and (c) a secure training centre for under 15 year olds was in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The average cost per annum of a place at a young offender institution (YOI) for 2007-08, as provided by the National Offender Management Service, was £32,799. There are a number of 'split site' young offender institutions which accommodate both 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 20-year-olds; and it is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to split the overall costs between the two age groups.
	The average cost a year of a place at a secure training centre (STC) for 2007-08, as provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), was £191,618. The age range for the young people in STCs is 12 to 17 years.
	In comparing the two figures, account will need to be taken of variations in the methods of calculation. In particular, the YJB figure includes health care and education, whereas the YOI figure excludes those elements.